Accessible communication tools

Course websites are great tools for providing your students with a digital version of the material to be covered in class. Websites can also be used as a method of staying in touch with your students between classes.

By providing students with a digital version of your handouts, syllabus and texts (in some instances) you are empowering them to manipulate the text in a manner that fits their learning style (compatibility with speech-to-text software, highlighting and enlarging fonts, using graphic organizers, etc.)

Course websites are also good places for students to engage in discussions between class meetings, link to relevant internet resources, submit assignments digitally, review the syllabus, check for course announcements and participate in on-line surveys, video conferences and file sharing.

Skype

(click image for free download)

Skype is a conference call tool which uses your computer instead of the phone. It is FREE! It'll let you make free calls to your friends all over the world.

Skype has been used by instructors teaching distance ed classes to students across the country and world. It allows greater flexibility for students and instructors.

Instructors are also using Skype to host online office hours with students and other faculty at different institutions.

Illinois Accessible Publishing Wizard

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The Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard provides a simple way to create highly accessible and standards compliant web versions of Office documents that are more accessible and usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

Instructors can use this easy to use tool to ensure that all of their web postings and websites are fully accessible for students with disabilities in accordance with the Federal government's Section 508 accessibility requirements.

Students who are developing web documents can use this tool to make sure that they are fully accessible.